By Style

By Style

Indian

Naan Corner

I don’t know about you, but I’m part of the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of food-ism. Once I’ve found a delicious version of a dish, most times I don’t venture out to find a better version. Especially if it’s known to be one of the best versions available anywhere. Because when you reach a certain plateau of yumminess, it becomes a matter of personal taste.

Naan Corner

Business

Kids

Address

Open

3pm - 2am

Pros

The best roti boom we’ve ever had, bar none.

Cons

Flagging down a waiter is an exercise in patience.

Price Range

RM25

Parking

Canlah

Certification

Muslim Owned

Many folks are divided on what makes a good roti canai. There’s the flaky-and-crispy camp (which I lean towards) and there are those who like the light-and-fluffy kind. My personal taste? I love the smaller and thicker reincarnations of roti canai and I know exactly where to get it. It's the same reason why a lot of people come to Naan Corner, it's one thing and one thing only: their incredible roti boom.

Most people agree that the best roti booms are crispy, with a bit of heft and layers to catch all the gravy it’s dipped into. They also shouldn’t be too big – so you can proudly say you’ve eaten 5 in a row – or too small that you can eat it in one bite, because you want to break apart that swirly mass of crispy dough. Naan Corner’s roti boom ticks all the right boxes. People have been known to brave the rain and traffic for it, and even some foreigners make beelines for it once they arrive in Malaysia.

Our favourite gravy for roti boom-dipping is their butter chicken. The moment the dish reaches your table, you’re almost assaulted by the scent wafting out of it. Tender pieces of chicken chunks are almost swimming in a sea of lightly spiced, yet almost obscenely buttery gravy. Ignore the surgeon general’s warning and have it anyway.

“But it’s called “Naan” Corner. How about their naans,” you say? We’re happy to report that their naans are in excellent shape.

Light and fluffy, yet with a good chew, they sprinkle theirs with quite a bit of sesame seeds for a good nutty aftertaste. And with naan comes tandoori. Theirs is a decent version, with soft and well marinated meat, though we still prefer the flavour of Uncle Aru’s. A dream tandoori team might involve Uncle Aru’s seasonings with Naan Corner’s marination techniques... mmmmm!

Naan Corner is somewhat of an institution in Ampang. Run by the Kausar family, some sources say that the roti boom was invented by the founder of the restaurant himself! Now, If that isn’t a family recipe for success, I don’t know what is. Although Mr Kausar is still involved with the business, most of the day-to-day operations are now being managed by his daughters, Sharina and Shatina along with his son-in-law, Mohamad Fareedz. Mr Kausar started Naan Corner in 1983, introducing Northern Indian cuisine to Ampangites living in the nearby housing area.

Roti boom came about when Mr. Kausar decided to tweak a Northern Indian roti recipe to make it more suitable for Malaysian taste buds. His inventiveness paid off and roti boom became the most popular item on their menu. To keep their customers happy, Naan Corner have kept the size and price of their roti boom unchanged over the past 30 years. That's what I call serving your customers well! This is also one of the reasons why their patrons have remained loyal to them.

If roti boom isn’t your thing (you crazy?!) then you can try out the many other dishes available at Naan Corner. As the business grew, the Kausar family realised that they needed to offer more local dishes to their patrons so they set up a variety of stalls to help cater their customer's demands. Most of their offerings are decent, if slightly pricey. We like their nasi lemak bungkus and kueh teow goreng, plus once a year during the whole of Ramadhan they serve up a popular buffet for those breaking fast. Malay lauk and Northern Indian dishes sitting happily side by side to tempt my tastebuds? Count me in for next year’s buffet!

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